A dead shoreline. A rusted power station. An underwater civilization that has every reason to fear the past; and one stubborn student who can’t stop reaching for it. We’re back with a solo story read from 'The Solarian Deep' by David Deane Haskell. Chapter 5 “Legacies Unearthed” is the kind of post-apocalyptic cyberpunk sci-fi that makes you feel the salt in the air and the risk in every kick of your feet.

Daniela is brilliant, restless, and convinced that old-world infrastructure might hold the key to long-term survival. When her society draws a hard boundary around “dangerous” energy and “approved” progress, she does what curious people always do: she pushes past the boundary. A rare shore-access petition turns into a tense expedition with anthropologists scavenging for human relics and engineers hunting for usable answers.


If you enjoy the ride, subscribe, share the show with a sci-fi friend, and leave a review.

David's Links: 

https://daviddeanehaskell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/daviddeanehaskell/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171228.David_Deane_Haskell

https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Haskell/author/B00DVBCZ5S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4011edc2-7c6b-4e23-8d3b-51b5b20c5fae

https://substack.com/@daviddeanehaskell

Music Credits for chapter 5

https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteBatAudio

Cinematic Documentary Drone by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Slow Motion

Blanket of Stars - Royalty Free 80s Retro Synth *No Beat* (Copyright Safe)

Atmospheric Sci-Fi Synthwave - Distant Planet // Royalty Free No Copyright Background Music

Background Video

Free Underwater Background Video Loop 4k  - Relaxing underwater video  - Royalty Free Vj Loop

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

This week, I sit down with David Deane Haskell to talk about the long arc of becoming an author, from finding his voice through music to discovering that fiction and nonfiction can both be a way to be seen, understood, and connected.

We explore David's experience in the indie publishing grind, and what the Kindle era taught a lot of writers the hard way: overnight success is rare, and craft takes time. David shares what influences still guide him today, his burst-based workflow, and using dictation to write.

David talks about a multi-year stretch where healing was the priority, and how the floodgates reopened with richer characters and sharper themes. That shift shows up in The Solarian Deep, a story that starts with an undersea premise and grows into science fiction with dystopian edges, identity and transformation, social pressure, and the divide between “us” and “them.” We also talk about building an online presence, the real risk of internet cruelty, and the very real rewards of putting yourself out there.

If you enjoy author interviews, science fiction craft talk, and honest conversations about creativity in public, you’ll get a lot out of this one.

 Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more readers and writers can find us.

David's Links:

https://daviddeanehaskell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/daviddeanehaskell/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171228.David_Deane_Haskell

https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Haskell/author/B00DVBCZ5S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4011edc2-7c6b-4e23-8d3b-51b5b20c5fae

https://substack.com/@daviddeanehaskell

The Men of the Mountain

Purchase the Book Here!! => Audible Link

Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

One moment Edgar is walking beside the sea, hand in hand with his wife, cherry blossoms drifting like soft pink snow. The next, the music cuts out, the city is silent, and the face beside him is no longer hers. “The Vanishing Lightning” is our full audio drama performance of Qualia Reed’s haunting science fiction short story, where love, memory, and survival collide in a world that has already ended.

Content Warnings: 

Depictions of struggles with Dementia

Violence

Blood

Elderly in Peril

Children in Peril

Qualia’s Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/qualiareed/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Qualia-Reed-Author-100087126994657/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22862775.Qualia_Reed

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BDTHJ3RP?ingress=0&visitId=f4b89a39-4ecd-4d9f-b56e-3821adbdf036

Listen to Ursus Aeternus!

https://www.audible.com/pd/Ursus-Aeternus-Audiobook/B0CNL37SPH

Voice Actors

RuthAnn Kvamme - Laura 06

ruthannkvamme.com 

Jackie Yangyuen - Isis

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

Connor McGeverly - Narrator, Edgar, News Anchor

Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

All other music and sound effects in this performance are copyright free and royalty free. Links and lists can be provided at request. 

The Men of the Mountain

Purchase the Book Here!! => Audible Link

Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

A fantasy saga that was supposed to be three books somehow grows into ten, and it’s not because the author can’t let go, it’s because the world keeps demanding the parts that make it feel true. We’re joined by returning guest Gabrielle Wanick to celebrate the upcoming release of The Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 2 (July 14), and to get very honest about what it takes to plan long-form epic fantasy without collapsing under plot holes, pacing problems, or abandoned threads. 

Then we go behind the curtain on the production side of modern publishing: why the audiobook happened sooner than planned, how you sort through a massive list of narrator auditions, and what it feels like when a performer like Melissa Redmond adds a new layer of creativity to your text. We also get into revision realities, including cutting chapters, redistributing key scenes, and rewriting major parts of the series when a character no longer works. Add in myth-inspired worldbuilding, a runic magic system that functions like technology, and cover art by Zelda Devon with hidden spoiler details, and you’ve got plenty to chew on. 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

Gabrielle Wanek, author Songs of Ash And Dawn

Sign up for three free chapters of Book1 and 2: www.songsofashanddawn.com

Melissa Redmond - Narrator of Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 1

Music 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

I’m joined by Drew Harrison, author of Men Of The Mountain, to talk about how his background in journalism shaped his fiction, why he researches details most readers will never double-check, and how sci fi can act like a warning system when technology moves faster than our culture can adapt. 

We get into craft and influence in a practical way: how reading Stephen King, Brandon Sanderson, and Joe Abercrombie left fingerprints on Drew’s style, why first-person narration can shrink the distance between reader and character, and how he builds authenticity by keeping his protagonists human, insecure, and pressured by responsibility. Drew also explains why Men Of The Mountain starts with one genre flavor and then reveals a deeper sci fi core, using the clash between tribal life and advanced technology to make familiar concepts feel uncanny again. 

Then we zoom out to cyberpunk themes that are suddenly not-so-fictional: AI manipulation, misinformation, and the creeping sense that we’re building systems we don’t fully understand. Drew argues bleak worlds need optimism to stay readable, and that hope is what turns dystopian storytelling into something more than despair. We also talk audiobooks: the joy of hearing a narrator bring lines to life, the challenge of letting go of control, and the best advice for authors who want to adapt their books to audio. 

If you enjoy author interviews, science fiction writing, cyberpunk ideas, and grounded worldbuilding, subscribe, share this with a reader friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

'Men of The Mountain' Early Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Sip Java Co, where much of MotM was written: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wKgL7y6tqvFXz3mg6

Well's Coffee, which does the on-site roasting: https://maps.app.goo.gl/c1VYu9isiD3YYvsJA

Drew's Events: 

Read it Write it, June 20:

https://www.facebook.com/ReadItWriteBookFestival/

Shelf Life Space, June 27: 

https://www.instagram.com/shelflifespace/

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

Today we share a full chapter from the 'Warforged' Audio book, written by R.C. Hannah, and performed by me! We follow the story of a plucky human fighter pilot named Crash, as he and the Black Geese Squadron are dropped from Faster Than Light travel into the frying pan. 

Thanks for checking out the episode! If you liked it, please consider purchasing the full audiobook on audible; it helps both R.C. and me!

Audible link: 

https://www.audible.com/pd/Warforged-Audiobook/B0GP3D5CHC?srsltid=AfmBOopaiGnbvWL5YNDDBL5MGI9iRl-r1c5IB75j_WIDTwuky5PP6Wwk

R.C. Hannah's Links: 

https://www.rchannah.com/

https://www.instagram.com/r.c.hannah/

Death and Red Trilliums: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213913099-death-red-trilliums

Stranded Season 9:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248241938-stranded

Content Warnings: 

Mild Language

Space Violence

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

A goat-eyed spacefaring civilization, an unexpectedly lovable AI orb, and a romance that never asks you to wade through spice just to get to the heart of the story. That’s the energy we bring to this chat with Canada-based sci-fi and fantasy author R.C. Hannah as we celebrate the Warforged audiobook release and dig into what makes plot-first LGBTQ romance so satisfying when it’s done with care. 

We also get real about the indie publishing side, including cover art and the growing problem of undisclosed AI art. R.C. shares a simple safeguard for authors: ask for step-by-step progress so you can see the work evolve. You’ll also hear what’s next for him, where to find his books and socials, and a fun final question that ends with a very specific fictional treat. Subscribe, share the show with a reader who loves LGBTQ sci-fi and fantasy, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

Warforged:

Audiobook on Audible

GoodReads:

Death and Red Trilliums: 

Goodreads

Stranded Season 9: 

Goodreads

R.C.’s Links: 

https://www.rchannah.com/

https://www.instagram.com/r.c.hannah/

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

Today's episode is a chapter read from Drew Harrison's The Men of the Mountain, a sci-fi/fantasy novel released March 2026, and will be released as an audiobook in the next month or so. Please enjoy this chapter, and please consider signing up below to be an early reviewer for The Men of the Mountain Audiobook. 

Content Warnings: 

No Content Warnings for this Episode

Early Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

I’ve been away from the feed for a few months, but it’s not because the work stopped it’s because the audiobook work ramped up. This update is my “here’s what I’ve been making” guide for anyone who loves audio fiction, audiobook narration, and big genre swings from space opera to romance to dystopian mystery.

First, I talk through three completed audiobooks you can grab on Audible. Then I lay out what’s next for Connor Read’s Books: interviews with R.C. Hannah and Drew Harrison, sample chapters as podcast episodes, and more short fiction. 

I also launched a short story submission page for writers (under 4,000 words, mainly horror, sci-fi, or fantasy) and I’m actively looking for more voice talent, especially performers with feminine voices for women characters. 

Long-term, I’m aiming to build a Patreon or donate link so we can pay authors and voice actors, because creative work deserves real support.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the interviews and story drops, and if you enjoy the show, share it with a friend and leave a review.

Short Story Submissions

https://www.lconnorvoice.com/submit-your-story

Voice Over Auditions: 

Message [email protected]

Put “VO Audition” in the subject line - messages without it will not be accepted. 

Audio Book Links: 

Black Sun: Rise of the Flint Pirates

Warforged

Transfer Point

Text Book Links:

Men of the Mountain

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

What if happiness could be guaranteed with a single bite? We read Evan Boffman’s Life and Limb, a desert horror tale where a determined runner named Rafe—rebuilding his life with a carbon fiber blade—meets a towering, talkative saguaro that offers permanent euphoria and relief from thirst. The Sonoran heat blurs into myth as rattlesnakes block the trail, cholla cling with wicked barbs, and coyotes circle with quiet precision. Through it all, the cactus speaks in a calm baritone, holding out a pink fruit that promises bliss without burden.

Thank you To Evan Baughfman for the permission to share this story on Connor Reads Books

Content Warnings: 

Harsh language

Mystical Cactus

Animal Attacks

Mauls of the Wild:

• https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mauls-of-the-wild-evan-baughfman/1148791503
• https://www.amazon.in/Mauls-Wild-Collection-Animal-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0G1XB1XN3
• https://thesummitbirmingham.com/buy/product/mauls-of-the-wild-a-collection-of-animal-attack-fiction-barnesnoble-32463c?model=0

Evan Baughfman:

• https://www.instagram.com/agent00evan_716/
• https://www.amazon.com/stores/Evan-Baughfman/author/B08BSQZ2X6?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=784d4a39-0061-4d3d-91fa-1d71c55fdd80
• https://newplayexchange.org/users/1708/evan-baughfman
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-baughfman-62a1b4137/

Murderfish: 

Murderfish on Audible 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request.